WAGS rescues a tremendous variety of dogs: puppies, adolescents, adults and seniors; males and females; big dogs and small ones; high-energy hounds and couch potatoes; dogs who ''looooove'' other dogs and mutts who just vant to be alone (with you).

WAGS rescues a tremendous variety of dogs: puppies, adolescents, adults and seniors; males and females; big dogs and small ones; high-energy hounds and couch potatoes; dogs who ''looooove'' other dogs and mutts who would really rather have your attention all to themselves.

But they do have a few traits in common:

But they do have a few traits in common:

* '''They're mostly young.''' Most dogs in the Southern shelters that WAGS pulls from are 2 years old or younger. The two most common "origin stories" are either that they were dumped at the shelter as 6- to 12-week-old puppies because their owners didn't spay or neuter their parents and couldn't find homes for the litter, or they were abandoned as adolescents (6 to 18 months) because their owners couldn't be bothered to train them properly and just dumped them when the puppy cuteness wore off.

* '''They're mostly young.''' Most dogs in the Southern shelters that WAGS pulls from are 2 years old or younger. The two most common "origin stories" are either that they were dumped at the shelter as 6- to 12-week-old puppies because their owners didn't spay or neuter their parents and couldn't find homes for the litter, or they were abandoned as adolescents (6 to 18 months) because their owners couldn't be bothered to train them properly and found some excuse to dump them when the puppy cuteness wore off.

* '''They're mostly mutts.''' Purebreds do come through the rescue regularly, but mutts predominate. Mostly they're descended from working or hunting dogs: beagles, coonhounds, German Shepherds, heelers, Labrador retrievers, and spaniels. Pit bulls and their muttly offspring are also very common.

* '''They're mostly mutts.''' Purebreds do come through the rescue, but mutts predominate. Mostly they're descended from working or hunting dogs: beagles, coonhounds, German Shepherds, heelers, Labrador retrievers, and spaniels. Pit bulls and their muttly offspring are also very common.

* '''They are ''good'' dogs.''' These dogs are overwhelmingly sweet, affectionate, people-oriented animals. They aren't aggressive. They may be a little shy at first, but they typically do not suffer from severe fear or undersocialization. All they need is some love, security, and basic training to blossom into truly wonderful pets.

* '''They are ''good'' dogs.''' These dogs are overwhelmingly sweet, affectionate, people-oriented animals. They aren't aggressive. They may be a little shy at first, but they typically do not suffer from severe fear or undersocialization. All they need is some love, security, and basic training to blossom into truly wonderful pets.

So how do you decide which one is right for you?

So how do you decide which one is right for you?